A nearly forty-year old, never before heard interview with John Lennon was aired on BBC Radio Sunday. The interview was conducted while John and Yoko Ono where holed up in Montreal during their famous Bed-In-For-Peace protest. This lost footage puts a new spin on the controversy John started when he claimed that the Beatles were “bigger than Jesus”. In the interview John says that his remarks were misunderstood and that he is down with Christ. He had even hoped that his music would encourage people to have more faith.

john and yoko bed

“It’s just an expression meaning the Beatles seem to me to have more influence over youth than Christ. Now I wasn’t saying that was a good idea, ’cause I’m one of Christ’s biggest fans. And if I can turn the focus on the Beatles on to Christ’s message, then that’s what we’re here to do.”

Could this just have been some 1969 CYA spin after seeing what a bru-ha-ha he conjured up? Sure. If you guys didn’t grow up with parents that were huge Beatle fans, you may not realize the backlash the Fab Four got for those remarks. Churchs and communities held big witch-hunt bonfires and burned Beatles albums and tons of priceless early Beatles merchandise. I always thought that those kids you see in that news footage probably kicked themselves in the booty years later buring those dolls, lunchboxes and PanAm flight bags. Some of that stuff could have sent their kids through college.

I personally prefer to think that John meant what he said, that he always had the best intentions for the universe and was truly a revoluntionary for peace. Decades after his death he continues to inspire and I like to think he wouldn’t have lowered himself to lying just to sell some records. Now go forth and download Imagine & Gimme Some Truth then go do something good for your fellow man today.

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